Global start-ups to benefit from thriving digital scene

New start-up award gives access to industry networks and EU market

The Future Hamburg Award launched Thursday (August 30, 2018) in London as part of a B2B event for British investors and start-ups. Now, start-ups focusing on digital business models can submit their applications until January 5, 2019 on www.future.hamburg/award. Commenting on the new award, Katharina Fegebank, Deputy Mayor of Hamburg, noted: “The future of our city lies in research, innovation and transfer. Start-ups are riding the wave of digitalization. They are the companies of the future. Hamburg is celebrating its young founders with the ‘Future Hamburg Award’. The award stands for international exchange, networking and transfer of the global start-up scene. We can only achieve great things and shape the future by learning from each other and working together.”

Winners to pitch at Online Marketing Rockstars

First-prize winners gain six-month access to Hamburg’s most exclusive workspace and coaching sessions with industry leaders from accelerator and venture capital ecosystems. The winner will also have an opportunity to present the start-up on stage at the OMR Festival in May 2019, which attracted over 40,000 trade visitors last year. All winners receive a media package with five-digit marketing services, which is likely to prove an attractive boon.

Gateway to European market

The city of Hamburg is aiming for greater awareness of the great efforts and diverse opportunities for start-ups from future industries with the Future Hamburg Award. Dr. Rolf Strittmatter, CEO of Hamburg Marketing GmbH, noted: “The 'Future Hamburg Award’ stands for Hamburg as an international start-up metropolis with a unique network of important future technologies. The award offers founders from Germany and across the globe an opportunity to further develop their company in one of Europe’s leading start-up locations. It also raises the visibility of the Hamburg start-up ecosystem on a national and international level.”

Hamburg: city of founders

Hamburg already ranks first in terms of the start-up ratio in a national comparison with Berlin. Internationally successful companies such as Xing, Jimdo or MyTaxi have begun as start-ups in the Hanse city. Meanwhile, tech giants such as Google, Facebook and Snapchat run business across German-speaking countries from Hamburg. And the city has been Germany’s leading media location for decades and offers strong, forward-looking industries from aviation to life sciences to logistics a wide range of verticals.

However, mainly venture capital companies, accelerators and start-up hubs with strong international connections and close-knit economic networks shape the city’s unique start-up ecosystem. Hamburg is now regarded as a launching pad onto the European market in the start-up scene. The FUTUREHAMBURGAWARD bolsters this network. The jury include Airbus BizLab, Next Commerce Accelerator and Next Logistic Accelerator with media backing from OMR. Hamburg Marketing GmbH and Hamburg Invest initiated the competition.

Starting signal in London

Fegebank presented the Future Hamburg Award in London which has had close trade links to Hamburg for centuries. Now these multifaceted links extend to start-up systems in both cities. After the opening event, Hamburg on Tour will make the Hanseatic city accessible to a larger audience at the weekend. The Hamburg Festival opens its doors from September 1-2, 2018 in the bustling, trendy London district of Shoreditch.

Hamburg is lauding start-ups that have shown exceptional progress in innovation, impact and growth and an outstanding development in their industry with the award. All national and international start-ups focusing on digital business models have until January 5, 2019 to submit their application on www.future.hamburg/award. Moreover, the website provides all the necessary information for entrepreneurs interested in setting up their business in Hamburg. Information on co-working spaces and as well as local accelerators and accelerator programmes in Hamburg is also available.

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